When We Were Young
by EtherealMay
Summary: Kikumaru Eiji and Uehara Sachie were best friends since birth. Can a childhood feeling remain the same after growth? EijixOC. slightly FujixOC.
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! This is my first PoT fanfic! I was inspired with this storyline when I was playing tennis with my friends a while ago. It will be quite short, but I still hope you guys would like it.

By the way, if any of you is reading my other story, the poll is up!

**When We Were Young**

**Chapter 1 of 3**

_Ever since I was little, that little magic spell_

_Gave me strength with a power that I couldn't see_

_Even on nights when I fight against many wounds_

_I always tremble when you hold me_

_"Chiisana Koro Kara" by Judy & Mary_

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"I really, really like Eiji-kun!" a little blonde-haired girl chirped happily.

"That's wonderful!" a woman, commonly known as Mrs. Kikumaru, exclaimed with much love in her eyes. "Then Sa-chan can marry Eiji when you are both grown up! You will be my daughter-in-law!"

The little girl danced with excitement, circling an equally cheerful red-haired boy. The little boy took the little girl's hand in his and they jumped around together.

"I really, really like Sa-chan, too!"

**

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**

When you're a young girl, time seems to pass so slowly, and the image of being a grown lady and wearing high-heeled shoes like your mother seems so far away. But as you turn into your teenage years, time seems to go much faster. You go to school, hang out with friends after school, do homework, and one day is gone. And you think back to your childhood and wonder why you wanted to get older so badly when you were just a little girl. You start to miss the times when you could sleep all you wanted, when the chubbier you got the more you were liked, when sadness was something you couldn't even comprehend.

Uehara Sachie, at age fourteen, misses all of that. She was a third-year student in Seishun Academy, not particularly smart or pretty, nor was she very enthusiastic about anything at all. Everyday she went to school like anyone else, and after school she helps out at the bathhouse that her family runs. Everything about her was a reflection of an ordinary fourteen-year-old, except for one thing. She was Kikumaru Eiji's oldest and closest friend.

The two of them were friends ever since they were born. Their mothers had been friends, and naturally let their children play with each other. They slept in the same cradle, shared the same toys, and they were even bathed in the same tub. They were inseparable. But as time passed and Sachie grew older, she began to realize that they have both changed. Eiji has grown to be, as much as Sachie hate to say, much more handsome than when he was only a little munchkin. With his promising tennis skills, Eiji was one of the most popular guys in school. Whereas she was only known as the girl with the golden hair that is Eiji's childhood friend.

Not that she was jealous of him, of course. She was allergic to attention.

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**

"Sa~~~~~~~Chan!" a familiar, youthful voice called out to her from outside her window after a couple of pebbles were tossed at it. Sachie, still in bed, reluctantly opened her eyes to the voice. She lifted her head to look at the alarm clock, which read 5:00. With a groan, she got out of her bed and stomped across the room to her window. She didn't' even need to look to figure out that the voice belonged to Kikumaru Eiji.

"What are doing here so early in the morning?" Sachie shouted in her hoarse, morning voice as she opened the window. A gush of wind blew in to her room along with a bright smile from her redheaded friend.

Eiji was standing on the sidewalk in front of her house, looking up expectantly at her. Despite the early morning, he looked perky and ready for any challenges of the day. Sometimes the perkiness that always surrounds him annoys Sachie to the deepest point in her heart.

"Let's go to school together, Sa-chan!" Eiji said happily. After receiving a weird look from Sachie, he added, "I have morning practice today!"

Sachie rolled her eyes. "That's your own business! Don't wake me up this early for nothing!"

"Sa-chan doesn't want to watch me play?" Eiji pouted, and earned himself another look at Sachie's eye-whites.

"I want to go back to bed."

"If you don't come with me, I'm going to tell auntie that you were the one that ate the last strawberry daifuku last night!"

"What?" Sachie narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare, Eiji…"

"Strawberry daifuku is auntie's favorite dessert, ne!"

"…" the look on Sachie's face told Eiji that he had succeeded. "I'll be down there in five minutes."

Eiji's face beamed with joy. "I'll be waiting, nya!"

Compared with Eiji, Sachie was like a dark cloud that floated beside the shiny rays of Eiji's sunny personality. She dragged her feet as she walked, and her head was tilted sideways, as if she could fall asleep right there and then. She resented the way Eiji wakes her up everyday earlier than she needed to. It was Eiji who has morning practice, not her.

"I really hate sports," Sachie said through a sigh as she glared up at the redhead. It was another thing that she resented, Eiji's height. When they were only kids, she would always make fun of his height. But on this last year of Junior High, Eiji seemed to have doubled in height in one night.

"Why, Sa-chan?" Eiji asked innocently. "You used to play tennis, too!"

"I only played because you forced me to."

Eiji only smiled wider. "You were really good at it, Sa-chan!"

"That's because the coach was scary!" Sachie shuddered at the thought of the ferocious tennis coach. She remembered that she was forced to run many laps and do pushups whenever she came late to lessons or made a mistake. "It was all your fault that I had to go through that!"

"Tennis is fun, nya!" Eiji said irrelevantly. "Sa-chan, you'll get fat if you don't exercise!"

"… You're really asking for it, boy!"

Sachie chased him all the way to school. Episodes like this replays everyday, as if they were a routine. Like getting used to waking up early for school, the reason for these little fits became almost habits. They were so superficial that she doesn't even realize that she isn't mad at all when she chased him. Still, she chased, with a reason that stuck with them since birth. They were inseparable.

**

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**

"Sa-chan! You're the first one here again!" a sweet female voice snapped Sachie out of her trance. Since she couldn't bear watching the whole morning practice (the captain of the tennis club reminded her of her old coach a lot), she came to the classroom early.

A girl with long, brown, wavy hair stood in front of her desk, smiling down at her. Akiyama Yukino was Sachie's closest friend next to Eiji. She was, doubtlessly, one of the most wanted female students at Seishun Academy. She was beautiful, sweet, and witty; she was a role model. As of last year, Akiyama Yukino and Fuji Shusuke have become the most envied couple in all of Seishun Academy. It was probably the reason why she became friends with Sachie, because Fuji Shusuke was good friends with Kikumaru Eiji. To Sachie's surprise, she and Yukino had become quite close.

Sachie smiled sourly at the pretty girl. "You're lucky that Fuji-kun doesn't drag you to morning practice everyday!"

"I'll say! I'd hate to leave my comfortable bed so early!" said Yukino, "but I bet you can never say no to Kikumaru-kun, ne! When are you guys going to be officially together?"

"What?" Sachie frowned. "Oh, not again, Yukino! We're only friends!"

"Come on! It's so obvious that he likes you!"

"Please," Sachie grunted, "he only likes me as much as a cat likes his yarn ball."

"Are you jealous of a yarn ball, Sa-chan?"

Sachie stared at Yukino incredulously, but before she could retort the bell rang and people started to file into the classroom. When Eiji and Fuji entered the classroom, several girls approached them. Many girls offered Eiji boxes of homemade breakfast and snacks wrapped in pink handkerchiefs, and he accepted them casually, smiling all the while at the free foods. Sachie rolled her eyes; if Eiji doesn't become a professional tennis player in the future, she thought, he should become a host in a host club.

**

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**

Sachie dreaded lunch time on Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, Yukino would make boxed lunches for Fuji and herself, and they would go off to the school's backyard to eat alone. Sachie, who usually ate with Yukino, would have to eat with Eiji, who talked a bit too much when he chews. What's worse is that he always talked about either tennis or his new toothpaste. But today, she had no one to eat with.

After buying a sandwich from the school vender, Sachie walked up the stairs toward the classroom, thinking of ways to avoid food from Eiji's mouth. But when she entered the classroom, she couldn't find Eiji, as he was surrounded by a majority of the girls in their class. Eiji must've received even more free food, she thought. Not that Sachie liked to eavesdrop, but the girls just talk too loud for her not to hear their topic. Unfortunately, the topic was about her.

"Kikumaru-kun, you walked to school with Uehara-san again today?"

"Kikumaru-kun, are you going out with Uehara-san?"

"Kikumaru-kun…"

Eiji only smiled brightly as he was bombarded with embarrassing questions. Seeing no sign of disagreement from Eiji, the girls thought their theories justified. Some looked sad, and some quietly congratulated him. Either he did not have any idea of what's going on, or he didn't mind the misunderstanding at all. Sachie, on the other hand, was getting redder and redder. She stomped into the classroom, ignoring the girls' envious stares, and dragged the redhead outside.

They didn't stop walking until they've reached an empty hallway. Eiji was about to ask her what's wrong, but he was stopped by her deadly glare.

"Why did you just smile to every question from those girls?" Sachie asked hotly. "Don't you know that they might misunderstand our relationship?"

"Sorry, Sa-chan…" Eiji pouted innocently. "But I think it wouldn't be bad to go out with Sa-chan!"

Sachie gaped at him, unbelieving her ears. She raised her left hand and stroked her thumping temple. Then she said while looking at him seriously, "You know, there is more to a relationship than just going out on dates!"

"I know!" Eiji chirped, "There needs to be love, right?"

"If you know, then why do you say such things?"

"Because I love Sa-chan!"

Eiji's smile seemed to be too bright; Sachie squinted her eyes. "No! It's not the friendly love between you and I!"

"I know! My love for Sa-chan is the kind in between man and woman!"

Sachie's jaws dropped even lower. She couldn't believe how easily and casually Eiji is saying these things. Is it because he's not smart? Maybe he's just naïve. Or, maybe he's really tricky on the inside, like Fuji. Sachie swallowed hard and shifted her gaze away from the human light bulb.

"Weirdo!" Sachie said before heading back to the classroom. "Don't you dare walk with me after school!"

It was something that only happened in movies and comic books. Her childhood friend had just confessed his love for her, and in a bizarre way, too. She still didn't believe that Eiji really understand the "love" he claims to have toward her.

When you were young, love was unlimited. You could love anyone older than you, younger than you, taller than you, shorter than you, however different from you. But when you grow older, that love becomes smaller. So small that it can only belong to one person. It's no longer open for everyone, but instead, you start to get too careful around love. You can longer hold whoever's hand you want, or say whatever you want. Should love really be strictly "one and only", if it made you so scared to break the "rule"?

Today, Sachie didn't wait for Eiji to finish after school practice and headed home on her own. For the first time in fourteen years, they were separated.

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TBC.

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Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**When We Were Young**

**Chapter 2 of 3**

_Amazing how life turns out the way that it does_

_We end up hurting the worst, the only ones we really love_

_I wanna break every clock_

_The hands of time could never move again_

_We could stay in this moment_

_For the rest of our lives_

_Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now_

_~"Inevitable" by Anberlin_

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"Sa-chan! Oi, Sa-chan! Don't ignore me, nya!" Eiji's pleading voice echoed in the empty street of the early morning in pounded in Sachie's head.

Sachie could not believe how thick-skinned her childhood friend is. After she clearly told him that she was angry with him, he still has the face to bother her so early in the morning. She dragged her feet toward the window pane, and stopped right in front to stare down at her friend. She could see the slight flinch from Eiji when he saw the dark aura emitting from her.

"Sa-chan, are you mad at me?"

Sachie rolled her eyes, and said sarcastically, "No, it's just that time of the month again!"

"Eh?" Eiji frowned, "But you said you had it two weeks ago so you couldn't play tennis with me! Are you okay, nya?"

"Damn, I forgot," a shade of blue washed over Sachie's face as she let out a deep sigh. Turning at the heels, Sachie went down the stairs.

Ever since they were small, Sachie could never stay mad at Eiji for more than a day. The innocent face from the naïve boy always softens her up, and makes her give in. To tell the truth, Sachie wasn't so sure why she was mad at him this time. All he has done was telling her that he loved her, which wasn't the first time that happened. When they were young, the two of them told each other sweet words of love every moment, and it seemed like something natural. But it was different this time. Sachie felt embarrassed, like it should be shameful or something along that line. She was confused, indeed, and she blamed Eiji for making her feel that way.

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**

"Ah! Sa-chan, you're here!" Yukino's voice traveled into Sachie's voice as she was trying to take a nap in the empty classroom.

"Good morning, Yukino…" Sachie said sleepily.

"Oh, good, you came with Kikumaru-kun!"

"What?"

"Kikumaru-kun was really sad yesterday, you know?" Yukino said, "He was looking for you everywhere after school. Shusuke and I found him and we told him that you felt sick, so you went home early."

A feeling of guilt flooded inside Sachie's head. Perhaps she overreacted about the whole thing, leaving Eiji behind without telling him anything. And for a simple guy like Eiji, he must've been so confused. Sachie stood from her seat and moved toward the door. She needed to apologize to the poor boy.

"Yukino, when does class start?"

"In about fifteen minutes!"

"Thanks!" Sachie said as she exited the classroom, running across the hallway.

Sachie ran in small, careful steps as not to bump into anyone. She received several glances from other students who are just arriving at school. Even when going down the stairs, she took two steps at a time. In less than five minutes she reached the tennis courts. The tennis players seem to be getting ready to leave. She looked around hurriedly for the redhead.

"Uehara-san!" a voice diverted Sachie's attention.

"Ah, Fuji-kun!" Sachie said as Fuji approached her from behind.

Fuji wore his everlasting smile. "If you're looking for Eiji, he's still in the courts!"

"Thanks!" said Sachie before running away again.

She could see the fiery color of Eiji's head clearly as she came close to the fences surrounding the courts. He was whistling as he picked up the balls. Sachie smiled a little, but before she could shout of Eiji's name, a rather flamboyant, brunette appeared in her view. Sachie squinted her eyes as the girl dramatically flirted with Eiji, handing him a bottle of water and towel. Sachie felt something pull at her heart when she saw Eiji's welcoming smile toward the girl; they chatted away happily. It wasn't long before Eiji noticed her behind the fence.

"Sa-chan!" Eiji said happily as he skipped toward her. Sachie smiled awkwardly at the happy boy, looking behind him and finding a rather scary expression from the brunette.

Sachie was slightly taken back by the brunette's hostile expression. The brunette definitely liked Eiji, by the look of jealousy and the previous flirting. Sachie wasn't so surprised because it's not a rare thing that Eiji is surrounded by pursuing girls. Eiji noticed Sachie's gaze and followed it to find the brunette who hasn't moved an inch. He waved at her to call her towards them.

"Sa-chan, let me introduce someone to you!" Eiji said enthusiastically, "This is Satou Maaya, the tennis club's manager! She's in Tezuka's class, nya!"

The mentioned girl smiled brightly at Sachie. "Nice to meet you! You must be Eiji's childhood friend, Uehara-san, right? Eiji talks about you all the time!"

Sachie's eyes widened; the brunette's face changed all too suddenly. How did such a face full of anguish turn into such an innocent one? From her experiences of much TV-watching, Satou Maaya was definitely two-faced or just had a cramp.

Nonetheless, she didn't want to be rude. "Nice to meet you, too! Yes, I am Uehara Sachie!"

An unreadable glint lit up in Maaya's eyes for a short second. Sachie wasn't so sure if she saw it correctly. But the overly sweetened smile on Maaya's face surely made Sachie feel chilly. Eiji, standing next to the brunette, was obviously not noticing the awkward atmosphere among the three of them.

"Well, I should go check up on the lower classmen," Maaya said cheerfully, more towards Eiji than to Sachie. "I'll see you two later!"

Maaya took little, quick steps and ran along towards the resting room. An awkward silence rose in between Sachie and Eiji. Although, it was more awkward for Sachie. Eiji only stared happily at his best friend, anticipating what she came for.

"Um…" Sachie started, but couldn't get her words out of her mouth. Sachie frowned. Since when did she start having trouble telling her best friend anything she wanted?

"Sa-chan," Eiji called softly. "It's okay, I understand everything, nya!"

Sachie looked up at Eiji's reassuring smile. She had never realized how tall and strong her best friend had grown to be. He was not the little boy who had to look up at her, but now a reliable and trustworthy youth. Compared with Eiji, Sachie felt a bit embarrassed by her own behaviors.

Together, the two of them walked back to their classroom silently. Needless of words, comfort was among them. Sachie knew clearly how many times the two of them have walked side by side home since they were little. She could not deny that she definitely missed those times.

**

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**

"What did you say?" asked Sachie as she looked at Eiji incredulously.

"Nya, Sa-chan," Eiji smiled weakly, "it's the third time you've asked me that!"

"…What did you say?"

Eiji sighed and took a big breath. "I said: Satou-san asked me to go out with her this morning and I thought it wouldn't be a problem so I said yes!"

Sachie's jaws dropped even bigger than it previously was. Eiji took another big breath after finishing the long sentence in just one breath. The two of them stared at each other, both of their expressions forced. Eiji's forehead began to form cold sweat as Sachie's jaws would not close up.

"Nya, don't be like that, Sa-chan!" Eiji laughed and reached out a hand to push Sachie's jaws close.

Sachie glared at Eiji fiercely and swapped his hand away. Leaving him a "Go away!", Sachie left the classroom. On the way down stairs, small curses against Eiji were formed between her lips.

Walking faster and faster down the flights of stairs, Sachie didn't notice the two personages heading the same direction she is coming from. As a result, they collided into each other. Sachie, who was already in a bad mood, was fired up even more. Even when she realized that the couple she ran into was Yukino and Fuji.

"What's wrong, Sa-chan?" Yukino asked.

"Mind your own business!" Sachie spat, red in the face.

"What did you say to me?" Yukino said, getting angry at Sachie's unreasonable rudeness.

"Calm down, Yukino, I'm sure something's happened to make Uehara-san this way!" Fuji said immediately, separating the two girls.

"Okay, then, what happened, Sa-chan?" Yukino asked again, this time more impatiently.

Sachie didn't answer but stared at the ground. Eiji's previous announcement replayed in her head over and over.

_"Satou-san asked me to go out with her this morning and I thought it wouldn't be a problem so I said yes!"_

_"Satou-san asked me to go out with her this morning and I thought it wouldn't be a problem so I said yes!"_

_**"Satou-san asked me to go out with her this morning and I thought it wouldn't be a problem so I said yes!"**_

"Ahhhhhh! Eiji is a big idiot!" Sachie screamed.

"What? What happened with Eiji?" Fuji asked.

Sachie looked at Fuji with squinted eyes, and then turned back towards Yukino. "Yukino-chan, you are so lucky to have someone as good as Fuji-kun! Compared to Eiji, Fuji-kun is so much better!"

"Wha… what are you saying, Sa-chan?" Yukino frowned.

"I'm saying, Fuji-kun is so much better than that player Eiji! Only morons would go for that player! Hmph, I bet in ten years, he's going to become one of those players… or… whores!"

"Nya… Sa-chan is so mean…" said Eiji, appearing from behind Sachie quietly. Clearly he heard everything Sachie had just said.

Sachie only looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Mean? I think I was being very precise with what you are!"

"Of course you were mean! You said I will become a whore in ten years!"

"Oh? I said you'll become a player or a whore, but you only remember whore. Does that mean you really want to become a whore?"

"Ehh? No! I mean, the word 'whore' just left a bigger impression is all…" Eiji said, his voice getting less and less audible.

Sachie raised an eyebrow at him. Without saying another word, she left them as fast as she could. Eiji stared after Sachie's retrieving back, having no idea that she would ignore him for the next whole week. Yukino and Fuji told him that Sachie was acting that way because she is jealous, but he didn't like the way Sachie acts when she's jealous.

Eiji felt dejected. So dejected that he doesn't know what to do. The moment when Sachie's back was turned to him and not a word was heard from her again, there was a tug at his heart. She stopped answering his calls, and he could never find her in the morning. At school he would wave at her, but she would ignore him like he was only air. He regretted everything. He regretted agreeing to go out with Satou Maaya just to make Sachie jealous. He was mad at himself for not knowing Sachie enough to disagree.

**

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**

**-EIJI POV-**

I love Sa-chan. I really, really love her. No matter what other people tell me about "love", I know that I love Sa-chan.

I can't remember anymore, the moment I realized that I love Sa-chan as more than a friend. It seemed so natural that I can't remember now.

"I really like Eiji-kun!" Sa-chan used to say to me. And when she does, she would hold my hand and smile like the prettiest angel in the sky.

"Then Sa-chan can marry Eiji when you are both grown up! You will be my daughter-in-law!" Mom would always say. When we were young, Sa-chan would hang around my house all the time. And the words "I like Eiji-kun" were something Sa-chan would never stop saying. And every time, I would tell her, "I like Sa-chan, too!" and hold her hand. I would promise her with fairytale weddings and dreamy futures.

But why? Why is it that after fourteen years, Sa-chan has changed so much? She won't ever say "I like Eiji" anymore, and she won't ever hold my hands anymore.

She will never say, "Ne, Eiji-kun! Let's go home together!"

Why? Ne, Sa-chan, why?

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**-SACHIE POV- **

Eiji is an idiot. A big, big idiot.

I'm never going to talk him again. Who would want to talk to an idiot? NO ONE.

I can't remember anymore, the moment I've stopped saying things like "I like Eiji." Maybe it's because we've both grown up. Right? Isn't that so?

I remember going to Eiji's house to play everyday when I was little. During those times, I would always hold on to Eiji's hand and say, "I really like Eiji-kun!" and Mrs. Kikumaru will always tell me, "Then Sa-chan can marry Eiji when you are both grown up! You will be my daughter-in-law!"

We were so naïve, spotless. So pure, so young, that was us.

_"I really, really like Eiji-kun!"_

_"I really, really like Sa-chan, too!"_

Hey, I really liked Eiji when I was little. I liked Eiji's smile, Eiji's laugh, and I liked it when Eiji pleaded at me to play tennis with him.

Hey, I really liked Eiji when I was little. I liked it when Eiji, with the most innocent voice, tells me that one day he'll become a professional tennis player and proudly make me his bride.

Hey, I really liked Eiji when I was little. I liked how Eiji could always make me smile. And I liked it when he says, "I'll never leave you crying."

But what about now? Do I still like Eiji now?

Yes, I do. I've never, never, never stopped liking Eiji.

Then why did I reject Eiji in the first place? Why? Because we're not the young kids we were anymore. Because we're all grown up now, some things can't stay the same as they used to be. There are things we can say when we were young, but we can't say that so easily anymore when we grow up. Because we've grown up, we understand too many things, and understanding too many things makes us scared. That's why things are different now.

But… liking Eiji is something that hasn't changed at all.

"Ne, ne, will Eiji-kun stop liking me one day?" I used to ask Eiji all the time on the way home when we were little.

And Eiji would always smile at me and say, "No! Because I love Sa-chan the most!"

Eiji is a liar. A big, big liar. I will never talk to him again.

**

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**

TBC.

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A/N: Sorry for the late update! I've been so busy with school up to now, and I've barely squeezed time to work on this chapter. I hope it's not too bad. Hopefully, I can get the last chapter out quicker than this chapter, but I still have to work on my KHR fanfic too. Please review & it will encourage me to write better!


	3. Chapter 3

**When We Were Young**

**Chapter 3 of 3**

_I wanna be your last, first kiss_

_That you'll ever have _

_I wanna be your last, first love _

_Till you're lying here beside me with arms and eyes open wide_

_I wanna be your last, first kiss for all time_

"_Inevitable" by Anberlin_

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The silent war between Sachie and Eiji has been going on for more than a month. Everyone around them could feel the dark aura emitting from them when they get near. Eiji's new attitude was the most obvious. He has dropped his usual enthusiasm, and his everyday-smiles have been replaced by a gloomy cloud. During class lectures, he would stare at Sachie, who ignores any kind of contacts with him, with an unreadable expression.

Same as any other day, Sachie was looking outside the window with her head propped up by her hand. Today was the second day of the "special days of the month", so her mood was dropped down even lower. Meaning that Sachie was even easier to irritate than usual. Her classmates now see her as a timed bomb with no set time. If anyone approached her at the wrong place and wrong time, she could explode on you.

"Sachie, this is the new cupcake at the new bakery that opened around the corner. My sister said I have to give it to you," Eiji carefully stepped to the side of Sachie's desk, handing a nicely wrapped cupcake to Sachie.

From the corner of her eyes, she observed the sweet-looking cupcake. After pointing at the edge of her desk with a movement of her chin, Sachie looked back out to the window. Eiji comprehended and put the cupcake on her desk, but kept staring at the cool girl.

"How long are you going to keep acting like this?" an unusual serious look was present on the redhead's face.

Sachie turned her head around again, locking gazes with Eiji. The two of them stayed like that for as long as a minute, and in that minute, neither of them said a word. It was silence and silence alone.

"Don't bother me," Sachie said coldly as the minute passed by.

"If you don't answer me, I'll keep bothering you!" Eiji said.

"Suit yourself," Sachie said and looked towards the window yet again.

"………"

It's as if you can smell the fire burning in between the two of them. If either one moved a muscle, a battle might be initiated.

"Shusuke, should we go help them out?" Yukino said softly in the opposite corner of the classroom.

"Outsiders like us shouldn't butt in," Fuji said, his gaze also set on the fighting couple.

After quite a while, Eiji finally began to speak again. "Sachie, do you hate me?"

"Very much." The reply was instantaneous. Without much interest, either, she kept staring at the clouds outside the window.

Hearing that, Eiji's brows furrowed, and a look of anger rose to his face. In an instant, he grabbed the hand that propped up Sachie's head, and with a forceful pull, he pulled her out of her seat.

"What are you doing?!" Sachie yelled as she tried to shake of his gasp.

"Ki…Kikumaru!" The boy who sat in front of Sachie, startled by Eiji's sudden action, exclaimed Eiji's surname. All the students in the classroom were staring at them by now.

"Let go of me!" Sachie screamed.

Ignoring Sachie's screaming and struggling, Eiji pulled her out of the classroom. With rushed footsteps, he pulled her towards Maaya's classroom. Yukino and Fuji followed silently behind. Upon arriving at his destination, Eiji knocked at the door impatiently.

"Can you ask Satou-san to come outside, please?" Eiji asked the boy who answered the door, his hand still tightly gripping Sachie's hand.

The boy was startled at first, but after looking at the locked hands of Eiji and Sachie, he nodded his head furiously. "Satou! Come out here!"

Maaya, who was happily chatting with her friends, turned her head towards the door. Her smile instantly disappeared as she saw Sachie behind Eiji.

"What's wrong?" Maaya asked as she stepped out of the classroom.

"Can we talk?" Eiji asked; his face giving Maaya no choice to refuse.

Maaya nodded, and followed him up to the rooftop. The whole time that they walked was silent, not counting the whispers of the other students.

"So, what is this about?" Maaya asked again as they arrived at the rooftop.

"………" Eiji didn't say a word, but let go of his hand that bounded Sachie's. Glaring at Eiji with great annoyance, Sachie retrieved her hand and rubbed it with her other hand.

"Ma… no, Satou-san," Eiji began. The sudden change of name-calling gave a hard tug at Maaya's heart. "As I thought… I still can't go out with Satou-san."

An unreadable expression was upon Maaya's face. After a deep breath, she nodded lightly, and gave Eiji a smile. "Thank you" was her last words, as a burning hot drop of liquid ran down her cheek. Knowing that she would never replace Sachie in the first place, Maaya laughed at her simple-mindedness. Turning around, she silently walked away from her first love, accepting the painful nature of adolescence.

After a moment of silence, Sachie spoke with a raised eyebrow, "what was the point of that?"

"Stop being ridiculous!"

"I'm not!"

"No, you are!"

Silence.

"I admit I was trying to make you jealous by going out with Satou-san."

Beep. The button on the bomb has been pressed and, "KIKUMARU EIJI!! YOU SET ME UP-----!!"

"Ehh?" Eiji was astonished and backed away three steps, "Nya, Sa-chan! I didn't mean to…"

"IDIOT--! WHO ARE YOU CALLING SA-CHAN?! HUH? DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO CALL ME THAT?!" Sachie's eyes were not lazy and uninterested anymore. Instead, they are replaced by a burning fire of murderous intent. This sudden change of attitude surprised not only Eiji, but also Fuji and Yukino, who were watching behind the door.

"Nya, you're so cute even when you're mad, Sa-chan!" Eiji said, as if he did not realize how dangerous those words were.

"I told you not to call me Sa-chan!!" Sachie growled as she stepped towards Eiji.

Eiji backed away slowly; the smile on his face was mixed with wariness. Finally, Eiji's back touched the cold surface of the cement wall.

"Nya, Sa-chan, it's not good to vandalize school property…" before Eiji could finish his sentence, Sachie already raised her right fist.

"DIE, YOU JERK!!!!" The raised fist came down right towards Eiji's handsome face. With his fast reflexes, Eiji swerved away. Sachie's fist made solid contact with the wall. Although bleeding a little, she definitely made a huge crate within the wall.

"Ahaha, that was close! And I haven't seen Sa-chan this mad for years!" Eiji laughed, obviously not knowing how serious the situation was.

Yukino and Fuji, behind the wall, were shocked.

"Sa… Sa-chan… I didn't know she was so strong!" Yukino gaped at the furious Sachie.

"I remember now!" Fuji said, his smile frozen, "Eiji once told me that the last time Uehara-san got this mad, his house became like the battlefield of World War II!"

"Someone has to stop her!!" Yukino exclaimed.

"What are you guys doing here?" a tall man approached Yukino and Fuji from the back. The two of them turned to find the power player of the tennis club, Kawamura. He also gaped as he opened the door a bit wider, "What's this? World War III?"

Sachie stood, panting heavily, along the edge of the fence. However, the scary was that there was no fence, because she has broken the fence and held it in her hands as a weapon. She held the piece of the fence high above her head, positioned to throw it at Eiji.

"Sa-chan, calm down!" Eiji said worriedly. Not because the fence was about to come at his face, but because the way that Sachie is standing might cause her to fall down.

"Kawamura-san, I think you're the only one that can help!" Fuji said, and shoved a tennis racket into Kawamura's hand.

"Uwooohhh! Burning!!!" Kawamura exclaimed, taking out a tennis ball from his pocket, he hit it towards the berserk Sachie.

As expected from the power player of Seigaku, the ball hit right on Sachie's head. Fortunately, she collapsed toward the floor of the rooftop, with the fence dropped behind her. The extra strength from Kawamura made the injured spot on her head start bleeding. Eiji hurried over to her to find that she has passed out.

"Infirmary!" Yukino shouted, as the three bystanders rushed out finally.

----------

Sachie's eyes opened slowly as the pain on her head woke her. She perceived the furniture of the infirmary, and as she turned her head she saw the worried expression on Eiji's face.

"You're awake, Sa-chan!" Eiji smiled softly with relief.

"What happened?" Sachie groaned at the throbbing pain at her head. Her memory stopped the scene of Eiji and Maaya's break-up.

Eiji only smiled. Sachie sat up slowly and saw the bandages on her hand.

"Don't tell me I went crazy again," she frowned as she studied her injured hands.

"Nya, this time wasn't as scary as last time! But, you were so cute, Sa-chan!" Eiji smiled brightly. The color of roses appeared on Sachie's cheeks as she turned away. She really disliked herself sometimes for hurting the people around her when she gets angry. And she always forgets about what she's done afterwards, too.

"How's that cute…?"

"Just cute!" Eiji's smile was even wider then.

_So bright…_

"Ne, Sa-chan?"

"What"

"Let me carry out my promise."

"Ehh?" her eyes widened as she stared at Eiji's enlarged face. All she remembered was that he was so close that he was even a little blurry in her eyes. Only the strange warmth coming from her lips told her what's going on.

"_Sa-chan, when I grow up, I'm gonna become a professional tennis player, and you're going to be my wife!"_

"_Okay, I'll be waiting, Eiji-kun!"_

_Ah… that was my first kiss…_

"Guys… I don't think we should be watching like this," Kawamura's voice came from behind the door.

"I'm just caring for my good friend!" Yukino said as if it was an obvious matter.

"Sure…"

"Do you have some opinion, KAWAMURA-KUN??"

"Ahh! No I don't!"

"Shhh, guys, they're gonna hear us!" Fuji shushed them.

_Idiot… we can hear you already,_ Sachie thought as she savored Eiji's sweet kisses.

_Ah… the sky is so blue… the sun is so bright… just like Eiji's smile!_

When you're a young girl, time seems to pass so slowly, and the image of being a grown lady and wearing high-heeled shoes like your mother seems so far away. But as you turn into your teenage years, time seems to go much faster. You go to school, hang out with friends after school, do homework, and one day is gone. And you think back to your childhood and wonder why you wanted to get older so badly when you were just a little girl. You start to miss the times when you could sleep all you wanted, when the chubbier you got the more you were liked, when sadness was something you couldn't even comprehend.

And perhaps you miss something else, also.

-------FIN.

A/N: Ahhh it's finally finished! Thanks for those of you who waited to read this! It was fun to write! I hope that I can write more short stories like this. I hope all of you enjoyed this story as much as I did. And lastly, please review!


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